Final Thoughts Before the Crickets Chirp

Despite the fact that I regret my wishy-washy, stop/start behavior with this blog, I couldn’t be more pleased to become part of the blogging team at Richardson, and am honoring the request with this announcement. I will keep this website and blog up, with full access to past posts, but this will be my last new post here for awhile.

I would, however, in typical Kunkle-style, like to leave you with a few thoughts.

Advice that’s out of context is best ignored.

Consider these sayings:

The early bird gets the worm. …Yet, the early worm gets eaten.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. …Yet, out of sight, out of mind.

All good things come to those who wait. …Yet, only what’s left behind by those who hustle.

Opposites attract. …Yet, birds of a feather flock together.

The best things in life are free. …Yet, you get what you pay for.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. …Yet, better safe than sorry.

Actions speak louder than words. …Yet, the pen is mightier than the sword.

In the post, Anthony cites some ideas that have become popular, which are talked about as if they are fact. Some of them seem true much of the time, while some of the ideas simply seem off-base when examined more closely, as he does in his post. Much of right/wrong interpretation is based on your perspective. I find that many of these ideas either may or may not be true, based on the specific situation you find yourself in. Isn’t this so often the case?

I especially respect Anthony’s comment that, “There are all kinds of ideas about what works and what doesn’t work in sales. Some of it contains a truth, but not the whole truth.”

And that’s the truth. 😉 Just as with the seemingly-contradictory sayings above. I’m sure each of us can recall different times and different circumstances when both sides of these sayings above seemed true (not at the same time, but one at a time, in the moment). The world is often a grayer place than the polarized, black-and-white thinkers would have us believe.

Also, and very importantly… if you leave assumptions out of it, and truly dig into the intended meaning of each saying (best done with the person saying them at the time, but it can be done in general), in some cases, something else mind-boggling comes to light… both statements are true. Yup, I’m serious. Look again and mull that one over for awhile.

This is the thought I leave you with, while the crickets chirp here, on this blog. Much like my Adaptive Buying and Selling Alignment thoughts, my Sales Utility Belt concept (from the same post), and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership II, which I mentioned recently in a post on coaching… real-life is situational. Your circumstances may not always be precisely “unique,” but they are distinct enough that the advice you listen to and apply, needs to consider the specifics of your situation.

It’s like faces, right? By design we have two eyes, two ears, a forehead, a nose, a mouth and a chin. And some people (who are not even twins or a multiple), may look remarkably alike. There are a lot of similar combinations. But everyone is also unique. This is even more true when you add personalities to the mix, doesn’t it? Some are similar, but figuring out the different possibilities requires a statistical Monte Carlo expert. It’s equally as complex with companies, products, buyers, and selling situations. There are many similarities, many differences, and many sales nuances, as we’ve discussed before.

So, the next time someone offers you advice without digging into your unique situation or considering the sales nuances… my advice is, “Run!” Their advice might fit… and it might not. But the fact that they offered advice without a deep understanding of your situation (or without disclaimers that they’re aware of the potential gaps and encourage you to dig into it further), makes their advice suspect and flimsy, at best.

To quote one of my high school teachers, and years later, also a respected corporate mentor… “To be terrific; be specific.”

I’ll be back someday, but right now I can’t predict when. In the meantime, thanks for reading, join us at the Richardson blog, be safe out there, for goodness’ sake be kind to each other – even when you disagree, and by all means… let’s continue to elevate our sales profession.